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Decreased Ratio (decreased + ratio)
Selected AbstractsAlpha-fetoprotein-specific transfer factors downregulate alpha-fetoprotein expression and specifically induce apoptosis in Bel7402 alpha-fetoprotein-positive hepatocarcinoma cellsHEPATOLOGY RESEARCH, Issue 7 2007Hui Zhang Aim:, To investigate the mechanisms of AFP-specific transfer factors (AFP-TF) in induced Bel7402 cells apoptosis. Further, we investigate the interaction between AFP-TF and AFP in the apoptosis. Methods:, Bel7402 and HepG2 AFP-positive hepatocarcinoma cell lines, SK-Hep-1 AFP-negative hepatocarcinoma cell line and Changliver normal liver cell line are used. Cell viability is evaluated by MTT assay and apoptosis is measured by Hoechst33342 staining and TUNEL assay. FACS is used to analyze the cell cycle. AFP expression is examined by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunocytochemistry. The interaction between AFP-TF and AFP in the apoptosis is investigated by addition of AFP in cultures or AFP transfection in Bel7402 cells prior to AFP-TF treatment. Mitochondrial membrane potential (,,m) and intracellular Ca2+ concentration are respectively measured by Rhodamine123 and Fluo-3 AM Ester. Western blotting detects the involvement of several apoptosis-related proteins. Finally, caspase-3 and Caspase-9 activity are respectively examined. Results:, AFP-TF can induce apoptosis in Bel7402 and HepG2 AFP-positive hepatocarcinoma cells, but not SK-Hep-1 and Changliver cells. AFP-mRNA level changes little in apoptotic Bel7402 cells; while AFP expression is downregulated and uniformly dispersed throughout the whole cell. Addition of exogenous AFP or overexpression of intracellular AFP can reduce such apoptotic effect. Besides, apoptotic Bel7402 cells show a disruption of ,,m, an immediate elevation of Ca2+ concentration, a prominently decreased ratio of bcl-2 to bax, a release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol, and ultimately an activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Conclusion:, AFP-TF induced Bel7402 cells apoptosis is mitochondrial-dependent and is mediated by the interaction of AFP-TF with intracellular AFP. [source] REDUCED/OXIDIZED GLUTATHIONE INDEX AS A TOOL FOR FOOD MONITORITY OXIDATIVE STRESS DURING EXTRUSION COOKINGJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 3 2001H. ZIELINSKI Reduced and oxidized glutathione was assayed in wheat, barley, rye, oats and buckwheat before and after extrusion cooking. The results obtained indicate that GSH/GSSG ratio was decreased from 1.91 and 10.72 for raw oat and buckwheat grains to the 1.13, 1.01, 1.10 and 4.72, 3.89, 3.89 for extruded material, respectively, in temperature used of 120, 160 and 200C. These results indicate that the oxidative stress is least developed during extrusion cooking of oat and buckwheat grains. Wheat and barley grains were more prone to oxidative damage, and the observed decrease of the ratio ranged from 6.84 and 4.89 (wheat cv. Almari and barley cv. Mobek, raw material) to the 1.89 and 2.07 (after extrusion cooking at 200C, respectively). No significance differences were found between two cultivars of wheat and barley being used in the experiment. The most decreased ratio up to five times was found in rye grain extrudates. The extrusion performed under barrel temperature profile of 80,100,120,120,120C caused significant decrease in GSH content when compared to raw material. The next higher barrel temperature profiles of 100,130,160,160,120C and 120,160,200,200,120C led to further GSH decrease in extruded wheat grains. In contrast, the two high temperature profiles did not [source] Secular trend of age-specific prevalence of hepatitis B surface and e antigenemia in pregnant women in TaiwanJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 4 2003Ho-Hsiung Lin Abstract To elucidate the impact of aging of hepatitis B carrier women on their viral replicative markers in a hepatitis B endemic area, all the parturients admitted to the Hospital were studied from 1985 to 2000. Serum hepatitis B surface (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) were tested by radioimmunoassay. Mann-Whitney U and Student's t -tests were used for statistical analysis. The results showed the yearly prevalence rate of HBsAg in pregnant women seemed stable with a mean of 12.0,±,1.1% during the period. The yearly positive rate of HBeAg among HBsAg-positive pregnant women varied between 30.4% and 42.6% from 1985 to 1992 and declined from 29.6% in 1993 to 18.1% in 2000. The mean ratio of HBeAg/HBsAg in carrier parturients was 24.7% [intraquantile range (IQR) 20.5,28.4] from 1993 to 2000, which was significantly lower than that of 32.4% (IQR 31.0,39.0) from 1985 to 1992 (P,< 0.0001). The mean age of HBeAg-positive primiparas from 1993 to 2000 was 29.1,±,3.9 years and significantly higher than that of 28.0,±,3.7 years from 1985 to 1993 (P,<,0.001), as well as in secundiparas 31.2,±,3.8 years vs. 30.1,±,3.4 years (P,< 0.001) and in total parturients 30.3,±,4.2 years vs. 29.3,±,3.8 years (P,<,0.001). Thus, no significant decrease of HBsAg carriage was observed in the past 16 years, whereas a decreased ratio of HBeAg/HBsAg was noted in carrier parturients in the past 8 years and the elderly HBeAg-positive parturients from 1993 to 2000 may be the cause. J. Med. Virol. 69:466,470, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] New Insights into Mechanisms of Spontaneous Liver Transplant Tolerance: The Role of Foxp3-Expressing CD25+CD4+ Regulatory T CellsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 8 2008W. Li Liver allografts in mice are accepted across MHC barriers without requirement for immunosuppressive therapy. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely undefined. In this study, we investigated the role of Foxp3-expressing CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Treg) in the induction of murine liver transplant tolerance. Foxp3+CD25+CD4+ T cells were increased in liver grafts and recipient spleens from day 5 to day 100 posttransplantation, associated with enhanced CTLA4 and TGF-, expression and IL-4 production. Depletion of recipient CD25+CD4+ T cells using anti-CD25 mAb (250 ,g/day) induced acute liver allograft rejection. This was associated with a decreased ratio of Foxp3+ Treg: T effector cells, decreased IL-4 and elevated IL-10 and IL-2 production by graft-infiltrating T cells, and reduced apoptotic activity of graft-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in anti-CD25-mAb-treated recipients. Thus, the data suggest that Foxp3+CD25+CD4+Treg are involved in spontaneous acceptance of liver allografts in mice. The ratio of Treg to T effector cells appears to determine liver transplant outcome. CTLA4, IL-4, TGF-, and apoptosis of graft-infiltrating T cells are also associated with liver transplant tolerance and may contribute, at least in part, to the mechanisms of Treg-mediated immune regulation in this model. [source] Pro- and pre-biotics administration in preterm infants: colonization and influence on faecal floraACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2003A Marini Prolonged administration of probiotic in preterm babies induce a rise of specific IgA and IgM antibodies against probiotic. This fact explains why presence of living germs in stools almost disappeared in spite of continuous administration. However some positive influences were observed: decreased ratio of aerobic/anaerobic. Increased ratio of gram +/gram , germs. Prebiotic administration induces after 28 days a significant increase of faecal bifidobacteria and frequency and consistency of stools were more similar to those observed in subjects fed with human milk. [source] | ||||||||||